Falling
by classicallyclassic
Summary: What happens when a simple "good morning" leads to something you never imagined possible? Seto Kaiba is about to find out. Seto/Anzu Mokuba/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I never have and never will.

**A/N: **Most azureshipping fics feature a scenario that brings Seto and Anzu together. I want a story where nothing brings them together except themselves. No situation, just two people. That's what I am attempting.

It was raining. I didn't mind the weather that others titled depressing. On the contrary, I enjoyed the rain. It washed away the constant plaguing of stress, the worry, the sheer reluctance with which I carried myself to school, or even sometimes, to work. It rejuvenated me, invigorated me. At times, a walk in the rain, getting thoroughly soaked, drenched, was the highlight of my day. Pretty pathetic, isn't it?

Too bad there weren't many rainy days.

It was on this day that I awoke from my short and unsatisfying slumber, at 7:30 am, to get ready for, hopefully, a short and satisfying day. I usually awoke with the same wish in my heart and usually, it never came true. But it didn't stop me. I stepped into the shower, willing the hot water to banish the knots under my skin and thinking over my schedule for the day. School, work and more work. Joy.

The only positive aspect of the day was the fact that today was the first day of my final year at Domino High. I could get out of the hell known as school and be free of the idiocy it presented.

I wasn't a breakfast eater though I should've been. It was just another way that I, Seto Kaiba, differed from the norm. I habitually had a cup of coffee and nothing more. The caffeine had a tendency to keep me going, even when I wanted to stop. That's why it was perfect. Because I wanted to stop more than I wanted to continue. It reminded me of the reason I went through it day after day. Mokuba. Mokuba and no one else; never anyone else. Everything was for him. Everything I did, do and will do was for him. Always.

Mokuba stepped into the dining area just a few minutes after me. I felt my lips twitch into what could be classified as a smile. It was an instinctive twitch that occurred whenever my eyes caught sight of him.

"Good morning, Seto," came my brother's usually chipper voice. It never ceased to surprise me how energetic he was at any time of the day. "Morning to you too, Mokuba." It wasn't as enthusiastic, but it was the best I could do. Hell, it was more than what anyone else would've received.

As my brother continued to speak of inane school stuff, I found my mind involuntarily on the Geek Squad. It would be the first I would see them after Battle City. Sometimes I wondered if there would ever come a day where I wouldn't have the misfortune of having to lay eyes them on a day to day basis.

"Mokuba, finish up your breakfast. We have to leave soon. I would like to have a few minutes of peace before any idiot voice is heard," I said, cutting of Mokuba. He didn't mind. He never did.

"Kay, Seto."

Grabbing my briefcase and an umbrella, in case I was inclined to walk after school, I stepped out the front door and into the waiting limo with Mokuba at my side. It was now 8:00. School started at 8:30 so I was guaranteed a few minutes of respite. As soon as I had settled, I opened my laptop and tuned out everything else. Mokuba sat beside me, his head resting lightly on my shoulder. All too soon (after 10 minutes), we arrived at Domino Elementary. Mokuba gave me a quick, one-armed hug. I received it gratefully and leaned into him slightly, letting him know that the gesture wasn't unwelcomed. I considered it my good luck charm, as childish as that might have been. He hopped out of the limo and before it drove of, I caught just a glimpse of an enthusiastic wave. I closed my laptop and returned it to my briefcase moments before the limo stopped at Domino High.

I seriously hated this place.

I entered the rather pathetically designed building, found in almost empty save for a few intellectually-deficient who didn't understand the meaning of the word 'home' in homework, and sighed. I continued down the hall towards homeroom and found the class, unsurprisingly, empty. I hoped it would remain that way until the last possible minute. I sat at the back of the class at my desk, took out a novel and began to read.

I sat there, enjoying the seeming solitude and the novel, when a sincere, yet hushed, feminine voiced whispered, "Good morning, Kaiba-kun." Well, that was a first. No one at this school had ever thought it necessary to greet me in the morning. Except crazy fan girls. I couldn't let this girl, whoever she was, let this become a habit. If she received even the smallest hint that I had indeed heard her (she was rather close for me to not have heard anything) then my morning respite would abandon me. No. There was too much at stake. So I sat there, unmoving, as I had before and ignored her. On second thought, maybe I should have yelled at her for thinking that I could possible be persuaded to respond to her.

I heard a small sigh and, consequently, receding footsteps. I didn't want to admit it but I was curios as to who had the guts to breach my personal space and address me. It couldn't be a fan girl. They travelled in herds and had a tendency to yell it in their annoying screeches. This discovery brought a small measure of comfort. At least, she was now guaranteed some common sense. My eyes travelled up the page of my book and over at the top of the rim. And there she was. Anzu Mazaki. Sitting at the front at her desk by the window and…reading. Well, you learn something new everyday.

Upon finding out that it was Mazaki who had been the one to do what no one had hitherto done before, I couldn't find it within myself to be surprised. If I could've named anyone with enough courage to approach me, it would've been Mazaki, much to my consternation. Then again, at least she wasn't a fan girl. I couldn't help but wonder why she did it. Did she want something? I decided not to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Did you want something Mazaki? Because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't talk to me unless it helped you and your group of retards in some way." I asked in a mocking/sarcastic voice.

She whipped around and stared at me for a few seconds, surprised that I had indirectly answered her greeting, or thinking of what she considered a witty comeback. I gave her an indifferent, bordering on cold, look. A frown marred her face and I was slightly taken aback by a fleeting look of disappoint in her blue gaze. Well, if she expected anything more, she didn't know me at all.

"Contrary to whatever opinion you carry of me, Kaiba-kun, I said good morning as an act of kindness and rest assured that if I or my friends needed any help, you would be in no way a person I would approach," she replied calmly.

That was unanticipated. I expected her face to twist into one of self-righteous indignation. I had been fully prepared to go momentarily deaf as she began preaching about useless, saccharine crap that made me want to throw up (I needed my caffeine so that action would've had to be prevented), but she didn't. Weird. Whatever, really. "Hn. You can _kindly_ keep that kindness to yourself. And as for not approaching me, well, let me thank you in advance," I retorted in the same tone of voice. She pissed me off. There went my solitude. Damn her.

Mazaki continued to stare at me for a few moments after that, as if judging the truthfulness of that statement, and then turned back. It was the truth. I neither needed nor wanted anyone to be kind to me. Especially not her. Her kindness was nothing more than pity. I hated pity, and consequently, hated anyone who thought I deserved it. My response today assured me that she wouldn't be doing anything remotely similar afterwards. I threw it back in her face. At least, my mornings would no longer include hearing her voice addressing me. Stupid girl.

All too soon, the class started filling up and I cursed my luck as the rest of the Motley Crew entered. They gathered around Mazaki's desk and began to do what they did best when together. Nothing. I went back to my reading until the teacher entered and waited for the inevitable symptoms of boredom. Lesson started and I only outwardly paid attention. I could do this crap with my eyes closed and only half my brain active. The teacher droned on and on… and my mind drifted to Mazaki.

Averagely attractive and intelligent, Mazaki didn't stand out from the rest of the crowd. She blended in, and perhaps that is what she preferred. To go with the flow. She didn't seem to befriend girls as easily as she could befriend boys. She abhorred rumors and gossip, wasn't seen whispering behind backs, didn't stare at her nails and perfect the smallest imperfection, didn't elaborately style her hair or break down in tears as soon as she spotted a misplaced strand, didn't clog her pores with makeup and detested the apparent smallness of her uniform skirt. I could easily understand why she couldn't stand other girls. Or was it the other way around?

Aside from her apparent dislike of anything overly feminine, her personality wasn't common for girls her age, or women in general. She was preppy, talkative, loud, and more often than not, her language was more than unladylike. She was also nosy and excessively helpful. Notwithstanding these evident flaws, she was strong in character. Women tended to be submissive, unwilling to right wrongs, verbally or otherwise. They were, by and large, disinclined to share their opinion for fear of something or another. They were reluctant to take risks. In short, most had the mind-set to play their socially accepted roles of being the weaker party to the fullest. I could say this with experience. Female employees of Kaiba Corp displayed those traits to the fullest. Mazaki was not of that group.

She was opinionated, excessively so. She stated hers clearly and concisely, without any fear of judgment from those who heard. If she felt someone to be in the wrong, she was more then agreeable to the idea of letting them know. In fact, where women tended to avert their gaze from mine when speaking to me, she held it with her own through and through. She let me know what she thought of me, which wasn't anything to be proud of.

Regardless of what opinion she held of me, when listening to her talk to me, I felt like I was me. That she was speaking to someone who only made his presence known when she spoke. No, not the orphan or the CEO, but Seto. Just Seto…without the Kaiba.

The shrill sound of the bell pulled me out of my stupor and I found my eyes settle on Mazaki, watching her as she packed her belongings away. They lingered on her as she went to her friends. As if sensing a gaze on her, she turned and her eyes caught mine. Blue met blue, not in hate or dislike from her, but in a hint of sadness that vanished before I could analyze it further. She gave me a slight nod with a small smile on her face before she turned back and walked out the door.

Weird. Very weird.

**A/N: **Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. Flames, however, are not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**A/N: **A huge, huge thank you to Yarsian for being the first reviewer. This chapter is dedicated to you.

It was still raining by the time school let up and though my preference was to walk to Kaiba Corp, I had the feeling that the sight of the CEO arriving without a limo (with an umbrella, no less) would send some of employees to an early grave, especially the females. Therefore, rather reluctantly, I made my way to the vehicle that was waiting outside the school gates.

I just had my hand on the door handle when a voice I much rather not have had heard, resounded in my head with all the force of a sledgehammer. "So close," I muttered, disgruntled and annoyed. I had half a mind to completely ignore her but this was the second time she had willfully sought me out. I couldn't help the 'why' that flitted through my head. I slowly (and grudgingly) turned around and was met with the, very much unwanted, image of Mazaki with a blue umbrella over her head.

"Kaiba-kun, I was…um wondering if we could talk," Mazaki said in an uncharacteristically subdued, but nonetheless, a strong voice. Funny, she stuttered a bit. Heh, I knew my looks were going to be too much for her one day. And here I thought she was different. I let a rather smug smirk develop on my face. Her eyebrows twitched and I had the notion that she was well aware of what went through my head.

"Oh please, Kaiba-kun, I didn't stutter because I thought you were good looking, so you can just wipe that smirk off your face." This time, her voice was of the old Mazaki. Better this version than the infuriatingly calm one from the morning. Tch, females and their rapid mood-swings.

"But you do think I'm good-looking Mazaki. Don't deny it," I teased. Somehow, her earlier atypical expression had me on edge. I couldn't explain why I had the inexplicable urge to make sure that she wasn't ever that gloomy again. I liked how she treated me as any other, common, person…most of the time. And I was known to bring out the worst in her (did she even have a best counterpart?) so, logically, I used it to my advantage. I liked the fact that she told me off. As irritating as it often was (and on more than one occasion, I had to restrain myself from shoving something in that mouth to shut her up), it was also a nice change of pace.

"You might've kept it hidden till now, but it's about time you showed your fan girlish side."

Her eyes grew stormy and her nostrils flared. She took a deep breath, calming herself down and spoke through clenched teeth. "Whatever. I was just going to clear up a few things. I didn't do what I did this morning out of pity… and I'm pretty sure that's what you saw it as. It was genuine kindness, if you know what that is."

"I am well aware what genuine kindness is, not that you're ever going to be fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of it from me. And I think I'll decide whether it was pity or not." I sneered.

"Yeah, well I'm not asking for it. And if you think that _I_ pity _you_, well, shows how much you really know about me." There it was again. That…that…look. That unsuitable disappointed look. Seriously, what on God's green earth was wrong with this exasperating girl?

"I'm not interested in getting to know you. Anyway, I'm late so if you're done wasting my time, I'll be leaving." I once again placed my hand on the door-handle and opened the door. Before I had been fully enclosed in my limo, Mazaki grasped the door and shoved her face in.

"Good evening Kaiba-kun," she muttered with a bitter smile on her face. I was prepared to believe that she was being sarcastic but that bitter smile quickly erased that notion. Her voice wasn't sincere, but rather, hollowed. She gave a slight nod and shut the door.

The state of being in confusion is not something I preferred. In fact, I had a certain detestation for it. Confusion lead to lack of control. It raised questions and I couldn't leave questions unanswered. Confusion was exactly the state of my mind at that moment. Questions were erupting here and there within my head and my brain was working frantically to find any possible reasons for Mazaki's abrupt change in personality. It was bizarre and, recently, my curiosity was piquing more than I thought appropriate. But when the reason behind said curiosity was the cheerleader, it was downright aggravating. I couldn't help but ponder on this new development until we arrived at the grandeur headquarters of Kaiba Corp.

I had shed my school jacket in the car and had donned on my signature trench coat. It was simple enough in design, white in color, similar to the one that defined me at Duelist Kingdom. I walked in through the front doors of KC, silently basking in the familiarity of the place and the authority I exuded. This, this was my kingdom; the place I ruled with an iron-fist. I was a strict employer and I felt no guilt in admitting that. If I had been otherwise, Kaiba Corp would not be at the top of the gaming world. If my employees had some sort of problem with the manner things were run here, they were familiar with the route to the exit. I was aware of the fact that some people were bothered that I fired on a regular basis. Only incompetent fools, who had trouble following the simplest commands, were ordered to leave. I wasn't one to sack a person over anything frivolous. Had I been asked, I would've easily been able to justify every single one of my firings. KC prided itself in hiring the best of the best, and if the best were lacking even infinitesimally, they were dismissed. I didn't believe in second chances. I never received one.

I received a few greetings from my employees as I made my way to the elevators. Naturally, I didn't respond and they weren't surprised. I waited for the 'ding' of the elevators as I thought of Mokuba. I reminded myself to call him as soon I was within the sanctuary that was my office. The elevator arrived and I sent a silent thank you to the heaven's above for sparing me the pain of having to endure the company of anyone during the ride. I stepped in, pressed the button indicating the top floor and waited, impatiently.

Once again, Mazaki's image passed through my mind and I frowned. As much as I loathed admitting it, I could no longer find within me the ability to continue to deny the fact that her reformed (for the better) attitude had piqued my interest…and curiosity. Whenever I was unfortunate enough to find that I had free time at my disposal, I would feel my mind drift to inconsequential situations…such as Mazaki's 180-transformation. Never mind that such an event was almost as rare as a blue moon, it still pissed me off that I, Seto Kaiba, was able to dwell on these annoyances. Yes, Mazaki's sudden pathetic modification was an annoyance because it differed from the norm. And I despised anything such.

The very much welcomed "ding" interrupted my thoughts as I stepped out from the elevator and onto my floor.

"Good afternoon Mr. Kaiba," greeted my secretary. Pondering momentarily whether she deserved a reply, I decided that putting up with me permitted such a blessing.

"Hn." A grunt accompanied by a rather stiff but nonetheless present nod was more than what anyone ever had the pleasure of receiving from me.

Momentarily frazzled, she shook her head a bit and widened her smile. Well, if she expected me to return that, she had another thing coming. Ignoring her second gesture, I continued to tread towards my office door. Gazing briefly at the inscribed CEO, I allowed a miniscule feeling of pride to course through me. I grasped the cool metal of the door-handle, turned it, and entered my haven.

Suppressing a groan that threatened to escape my lips at the sight of the ridiculous amount of paperwork awaiting me at my desk, I took out my cell phone and speed dialed Mokuba's number. Sinking into my chair and leaning into it fully, I rested my arm over my eyes and waited for the voice that had the uncanny ability to uplift me from the dreariest of moods.

"Hello." Ah, alas.

"Mokuba, are you at home?" My voiced might've seemed rather gruff to a member of the outside world, but my brother could, undoubtedly, detect that imperceptible softness that belonged only to him. And that was all that mattered.

"Ya, I'm home, Big Brother. Um…" My brother stuttering...in front of me. Surprising. And once again, my curiosity as to the reason behind the nervous disability began to creep towards the edge of my awareness.

"What is it, Mokuba?" I allowed my voice to invite a gentleness of tone to it so as to decrease the obvious discomfort my brother was failing to veil.

"You know you can ask me anything."

"Um…Seto, actually, a friend asked me if I could come over to her place tonight. She thought it might be fun if we did homework together. She said that I could stay for dinner too. So can I go? Please?"

He was still nervous, though not so much as before. My action proved to be successful. If there was one thing I despised more than Yugi and his gang of retards, it was my brother feeling uncomfortable around me. More than enough people did anyway, not that I minded. My brother however was different, if only because he held the title. But there was more to it than that. A feeling that lingered, much as I tried to dismiss it, or at the very least, ignore it. His comfort was a constant reminder that I was still Seto, his Seto; that I hadn't lost my humanity; that I hadn't malformed into my Step-Father. It brought me a sense of completion, of satisfaction. A vaguely nauseous sensation erupted whenever I caught a even a gist of his distress.

"You are more than welcome to go, Mokuba. If it's alright with her parents."

"Really? Thanks, Big Brother. Oh and don't worry. She said she cleared everything with her parents."

"Can I at least know her name or would that be too much?" I teased him a little. Occasionally I allowed for a little fun, but only with Mokuba.

"Her name's Mikan, Seto." His voice had adopted an excited tone. Good.

"And I want you to meet her. Actually, she wants to meet you." Not so good.

"No."

"Seto, please. Just a quick hello and that's it. I'm not asking for lengthy conversation. And besides, she is the first friend I want to introduce you to. Well, it's the other way around." I was once again about to decline when I heard sniffles.

That decided it.

"…" And then a grudging "Fine." And they believed me to be cold. If only they were aware that mere _sniffles_ had the distinct power to bring Seto Kaiba down. Not that that fact was ever going to carry the pleasure of entering anyone else's ears.

Mokuba and I conversed for a few moments longer on trivialities before I decided that work demanded my attention. Reluctanly, I bid my brother a farewell and closed my phone.

Contrary to popular belief, I did allow for some relaxation. But only with my brother.

If only I suspected even a little how that tid-bit of my life would change. Right in front of my eyes.


End file.
